The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling rectangular documents and more particularly to a handling apparatus of the type in which each document is subjected either to an operation involving reading information carried by the document, or recording information on the document generally followed by a reading operation to detect any possible recording mistakes.
Document handling apparatus are often used in business establishments, such as banks or agencies, having a number of branches. One or more units of the apparatus are connected to a central computer which may be located a long distance from the branch. The documents handled by the apparatus may be cards, on or in which marks or perforations are made, cheques or money orders, on which characters are printed, or similar documents. The information carried by these documents may be analyzed automatically by optical, magnetic or other means.
In one apparatus of this type, such as that described for example in U.S. Pat. Application No. 796,320, filed Jan. 31, 1969, documents are hand fed into the apparatus one after another. Each document to be read is moved lengthwise in one direction, and then possibly in the opposite direction, so that all or part of the information recorded on the document may be read and reread. After being read, the document is moved in the opposite direction from that in which it was infed and is ejected from the apparatus.
Although, such apparatus is entirely satisfactory when used by a single operator, the apparatus becomes unsuitable for simultaneous use by two operators. For example, assuming that there is only one point on the apparatus where documents are infed and ejected documents received, and that the amount of room each operator requires to do his job prevents two operators from being seated near this point in comfort, each operator is therefore obliged to shift part of his body each time he requires access to this point to feed a document into the apparatus or to receive an ejected document. Further, after an operator has moved up to feed a document into the apparatus, he is obliged to wait because there is already another document inside the apparatus. The result is not only a considerable waste of the operator's time due to repeated waiting, but also additional waste of time and fatigue caused by movements and steps which the operator has to make to gain access to the apparatus.